Conventional refrigeration appliances, such as domestic refrigerators, typically have both a fresh food compartment and a freezer compartment or section. The fresh food compartment is where food items such as fruits, vegetables, and beverages are stored and the freezer compartment is where food items that are to be kept in a frozen condition are stored. The refrigerators are provided with a refrigeration system that maintains the fresh food compartment at temperatures above 0° C., such as between 0.25° C. and 4.5° C. and the freezer compartments at temperatures below 0° C., such as between 0° C. and −20° C.
The arrangements of the fresh food and freezer compartments with respect to one another in such refrigerators vary. For example, in some cases, the freezer compartment is located above the fresh food compartment and in other cases the freezer compartment is located below the fresh food compartment. Additionally, many modern refrigerators have their freezer compartments and fresh food compartments arranged in a side-by-side relationship. Whatever arrangement of the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment is employed, typically, separate access doors are provided for the compartments so that either compartment may be accessed without exposing the other compartment to the ambient air.
Conventionally, refrigerators have a water (and/or ice) dispenser located on the front surface of the refrigerator door. This allows a user to obtain water that is chilled by a water circulation system in the refrigerator or ice created by an ice maker while the refrigerator door is closed.
In the conventional dispenser described above, the passage and devices for dispensing the water and ice must be provided along the front and rear of the door. Additionally, because of the space necessary on the front of the door for accommodating the dispenser, the door may become deformed during the molding process. Further, a clean appearance of the face of the refrigerator door is interrupted by the conventional dispenser.